Danyel Vanreenen

Convicted child rapist Cliff Lyons Dobbie was recaptured after absconding from escorted community leave in Perth, Scotland. Dobbie, a restricted patient who had been held in secure units since being convicted of raping a 10-year-old girl while on bail for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy, was sought by Police Scotland and was considered potentially dangerous to approach. Police issued details of his appearance, clothing, tattoos and links to Glasgow before confirming his capture the following day.

Pastor Peter Anderson has paid tribute to Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old Scottish member of Edinburgh-based City on a Hill church for 20 years, describing her commitment to missionary work and service to others. Ross’s body was found in a suitcase at an abandoned building in Athens on 18 July. Greek police arrested a 26-year-old foreign man who allegedly confessed, moved her body, and used her bank card; he faces charges including manslaughter, robbery and weapons-law violations. Scottish and UK authorities are supporting her family and coordinating with Greek officials.

Families of the 29 people killed in the 1994 RAF Chinook crash on Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre are urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to order a new independent review and meet them within his first 100 days in office. The Chinook Justice Campaign says a 2011 inquiry cleared the pilots of blame but failed to establish the cause of the crash, while a recent High Court ruling prevented the families from pursuing legal action against the Ministry of Defence because the case was brought too late. Although the campaign plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, it wants a government-led review with full access to documents on the helicopter’s airworthiness and the circumstances of the crash. The families link their request to the proposed Hillsborough Law and have received support from former defence secretary Liam Fox.

A 53-year-old man was seriously assaulted by two armed men while sitting in his car on Glenisla Street in Glasgow. He was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The suspects, described as two white men in their 20s, fled in a white vehicle. Police Scotland is seeking witnesses and dashcam or CCTV footage, with information requested through police or Crimestoppers.

A wildfire near Glenmore in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park continues into its third day, with substantial hotspots remaining across an area that reached about six square kilometres. More than 100 firefighters will remain deployed through the weekend and into the following week, while helicopter water-bombing and other firefighting operations continue. Authorities are urging the public to stay away because the affected area remains unsafe, despite road closures and police cordons.

Fire crews continued tackling a blaze at Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat after responding on Sunday evening, with six appliances at the scene by Monday morning and no reported casualties. The incident came as crews and other partners battled a separate wildfire near Glenmore in the Cairngorms, which had burned around 4 sq km at its peak. The Cairngorms National Park Authority said that fire was largely surrounded but remained active, with helicopter support and exclusion zones still in place; evacuated residents and affected campers were expected to regain access later.

Firefighters were expected to remain at Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat for several days after a blaze covering about 0.01 square kilometres was reported on 19 July. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service increased its response from four to six appliances and planned to extinguish hotspots after the main fire was contained. The cause remained unknown, while a separate, much larger wildfire was burning in the Cairngorms. Police Scotland closed Queen’s Drive and advised the public to avoid the area; no casualties were reported.

Fire crews responded to a blaze at Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat, with six appliances still at the scene on Monday morning and no casualties reported. The incident occurred as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continued battling a wildfire in the Cairngorms, where approximately four square kilometres had burned at its peak. The Cairngorms fire was largely surrounded and under control, with evacuated residents expected to return home.

A Young Scot survey of more than 2,600 people aged 11 to 25 found that over 80% had seen online misinformation, nearly 70% were worried about inaccurate information, and six in ten struggled to distinguish fact from fiction. Respondents said AI-generated content and deepfakes were increasing anxiety and distrust, and called for stronger regulation of artificial intelligence and social media platforms. Young Scot representatives also urged better critical-thinking education and protections, while wider priorities included tackling child poverty, violence and problems in the NHS.

Edinburgh Airport was evacuated after a potentially suspicious package was reported around 6:50pm on Friday. Police Scotland deployed an explosive ordnance disposal team, established a cordon and closed nearby roads, while Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent crews and specialist resources. Parts of the airport remained evacuated as investigations continued, and passengers were advised to check with their airlines for updates.

Scottish soldier Private Donnie MacRae died in a German prisoner-of-war hospital in 1941 after suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome. German doctors removed parts of his brain and spinal tissue for research, and the samples remained at a psychiatric institute in Munich for decades. An international research group and UK authorities eventually identified and returned the samples, allowing them to be buried with MacRae’s remains at Berlin 1939–1945 War Cemetery. His relatives attended a commemorative service and expressed relief that the remains had been reunited.

New research from the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and the British Geological Survey indicates that the volcanic activity forming the Giant’s Causeway’s 40,000 basalt columns occurred over about 5.5 million years, revising earlier estimates by eight million years. The findings more confidently connect the Northern Irish formation to a major volcanic event around 60 million years ago that also affected Scotland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

New research by the British Geological Survey and Geological Survey of Northern Ireland has substantially revised the timeline of volcanic activity that formed Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway. Scientists now estimate that the relevant volcanic events occurred over 5.5 million years, around eight million years less than previously thought. The higher-resolution timeline links the Causeway more definitively to volcanic formations in Scotland, including Staffa, Fingal’s Cave, Mull, Rum and Skye, as well as related rocks in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

New research by the British Geological Survey and Geological Survey of Northern Ireland indicates that the volcanic activity that formed the Giant’s Causeway and other Northern Irish formations occurred over approximately 5.5 million years, rather than the previously estimated 13.5 million years. The higher-resolution timeline links the Causeway’s formation more confidently to volcanic features in Scotland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, providing a clearer global context for a major volcanic event around 60 million years ago.

Chaka Khan and Simple Minds will headline BBC Radio 2 In The Park in Stirling, with Khan performing on Saturday and Simple Minds on Sunday for their only UK show of the year. The three-day event also features acts including The Script, Texas, Level 42, James Blunt and Deacon Blue, while Radio 2 presenters will host a Friday DJ pre-party. Tickets go on sale June 10, with prices starting at £40 for the pre-party and £84 for weekend festival days; performances will also be broadcast through Radio 2, BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer.

Bank of Scotland has unveiled a limited-edition £20 note inspired by Scott McTominay’s overhead-kick goal against Denmark, which helped Scotland qualify for the men’s World Cup for the first time since 1998. Only 100 notes were produced, with 50 to be distributed through auctions, a prize draw and pop-up vaults in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Proceeds from the auction and prize draw will support Crisis Scotland’s work tackling homelessness.

Around 690 airport workers in Edinburgh and Glasgow have voted to strike during the peak summer holiday period, potentially coinciding with the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. Unite says the action follows employers’ refusal to make a fair pay offer, while Menzies Aviation argues that it has proposed an above-inflation settlement and has contingency plans to protect flights. Edinburgh Airport, Menzies, ICTS and unions are continuing talks with Acas to try to avert disruption.

North Berwick RNLI and coastguard teams received PETA’s Hero to Animals award after rescuing Sparkle, a Weimaraner that fell four metres from a harbour wall into the sea at Seacliff beach in East Lothian. The dog’s 73-year-old owner, David Hall, entered the cold water and held onto her collar until rescuers arrived; another member of the public also entered the water. Sparkle was recovered safely, and those who entered the water received care.

North Berwick RNLI and coastguard personnel rescued Sparkle, a Weimaraner who fell four metres from a harbour wall into the cold, rough sea at Seacliff Beach in East Lothian. The dog’s 73-year-old owner, David Hall, entered the water and held onto her until rescuers arrived, while another member of the public also attempted to help. PETA presented the rescuers with a Hero to Animals award, recognizing their actions for preventing a potentially tragic outcome.